Qualifying Information/Times/Television coverage

Qualifying: 2 laps for positions 1-42, Friday, April 30 at 5:40pm/et, TV-SPEED, re-air scheduled at 1:30am/et;
AND live via radio at MRN Radio only on NASCAR.com.

RACE RUNDOWNnews and links

Kyle Busch wins at Richmond: #18-Kyle Busch led the most laps [226] and made a late race pass of #24-Gordon on a restart and won the Crown Royal Presents The Heath Calhoun 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway for his 1st race of 2010, his first win in 21 races and 17th of his career. It was the first Sprint Cup Series win for crew chief Dave Rogers. Busch is the first pole sitter to win a race in 2010. #24-Gordon hel on to 2nd, followed by #29-Harvick, #31-Burton, #99-Edwards, #42-Montoya, #56-Truex Jr., #39-Newman, #47-Ambrose and #48-Johnson. Harvick takes the points lead by 10 points over Johnson. There were 12 lead changes among 8 drivers and 6 cautions for 37 yellow flag laps.
See race results, awards, laps led and more on Jayski's Richmond Race Results/Awards page.(5-1-2010)

Richmond Notes & Facts:
• Kyle Busch won the Heath Calhoun 400 at Richmond International Raceway. It marked the 22nd time a driver won from the pole position at Richmond. It was Busch's 17th Cup victory in his 196th race. His last win came at Bristol in August 2009, 22 races earlier.
• Busch gave Dave Rogers his first Cup victory as a crew chief.
• Busch was the seventh different race winner in 2010. Johnson (three wins) and Hamlin (two) are the only multiple race winners in 2010.
• Busch led a race-high 226 of the 400 laps. He extended an 11-race streak of running at the finish at Richmond.
• Busch climbed from fifth to third in the point standings.
• Joe Gibbs Racing drivers have won six of the previous seven short-track races. It was JGR's 80th Cup victory and sixth win at Richmond.
• Jeff Gordon is the only driver to lead at least one lap in eight of the 10 races in 2010. He leads all drivers with 50 lap-leader bonus points.
• Kevin Harvick took the point lead by 10 over second-place Jimmie Johnson.
• Gordon (second) extended a seven-race streak of top-10 finishes at Richmond. He has won only once in his last 11 races where he led 100 or more laps.
• Harvick (third) extended a 19-race streak of running at the finish, the longest current streak at Richmond.
• Jeff Burton (fourth) scored his third top-10 finish in his past four Richmond races.
• Carl Edwards (fifth) led for the first time in 2010, posting his fifth top 10 in 10 races in 2010. Edwards and Jimmie Johnson (10th) have scored top-10 finishes in the three short-track races.
• Ryan Newman (eighth) extended a 17-race streak of running at the finish at Richmond.
• Clint Bowyer (12th) extended a nine-race streak of lead-lap finishes at Richmond.
• Toyota scored its third Richmond victory and its third win in 10 races this season.(ESPN)(5-4-2010)

Race Fast Facts - Richmond:
#18-Kyle Busch won the CROWN ROYAL Presents The Heath Calhoun 400, his 17th victory in 196 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his first victory and fifth top-10 finish in 2010.
This is his second victory and ninth top-10 finish in 11 races at Richmond International Raceway.
Jeff Gordon (second) posted his 23rd top-10 finish in 35 races at Richmond International Raceway. It is his fourth top-10 finish in 2010.
Kevin Harvick (third) posted his 12th top-10 finish in 19 races at Richmond International Raceway.
Kevin Conway (37th) was the highest finishing rookie.
Kevin Harvick leads the point standings by 10 points over Jimmie Johnson.(NASCAR Statistics)(5-1-2010)

Top-35 in Owner Points and guaranteed a starting spot at Darlington:
Changes: #38-Conway drops out of the top35 and #37-Gilliland moves back in and has a guaranteed spot at Darlington. so do the drivers swap rides again to make sure Conway will run the race?
32) #78-Smith/Furniture Row: 807, +85
33) #7-Gordon/RGM/BAM: 800, +47
34) #34-Kvapil/Front Row: 792, +39
35) #37-Gilliland/Front Row: 769, 16 points ahead of 36ththese teams/ drivers must qualify by speed:
36) #38-Conway/Front Row: 753, 16 points out of 35th
37) #26-Stremme/Latitude43: 615, -154
The teams are NOT locked in past the next race as the owners points change after each race.
For the owner points standings, see my Owners Points Standings page.(5-1-2010)

Pit Stall Selections - Richmond: The selections of pit stalls for the Crown Royal Presents The Heath Calhoun 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway have been made. Pole sitter #18-Busch chose pit stall 1 [as do most pole sitters].
Outside pole sitter #00-Reutimann took pit stall 17, the first with an opening in front of it [after the 1st stall of course].
#48-Johnson, who starts 3rd took the 30th pit stall, the next stall with an opening in front of it.
The 43rd and final pit stall was taken by #78-Smith, who starts 29th.
To see where all the drivers/teams pit stall is, see the pit selection chart on the Richmond Pit Stall Selection chart.(5-1-2010)

Lowest-finishing, non-wrecked car to be inspected: NASCAR has instituted a new postrace inspection policy for Sprint Cup races in which the first car out of the race that is not involved in an accident will be held for teardown, much like the cars that currently finish in the top five. That meant that Aric Almirola’s #09 Phoenix Racing’s Chevy was thoroughly inspected after the Las Vegas Motor Speedway race. His engine was taken to be torn down later this week at the NASCAR R&D center in Concord, NC. The policy is expected to impact the start-and-park teams – teams that typically bring a car but don’t have funding to run the entire event. These teams often are not in the top 35 in owner points, so they are required to qualify on speed. The new policy means it is likely that one of the cars that qualify on speed for every race will end up getting torn down. NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton said Sunday the move was not to discourage start-and-park teams. “We’re just expanding our inspection process and making sure that everybody feels like everybody is on the same playing field, that’s all,” Pemberton said. “It’s all about making sure that the guys who get beat that don’t make the race understand that the guys who get in the race, for the most part, are doing everything right.” The move could cost these teams money, as they will have to pay for an engine rebuild that they might not have needed if they didn’t run many laps. Pemberton said the engine might not be torn down weekly but acknowledged it could cost teams $30,000 for a rebuild. That could lead to those teams racing more instead of risking the cost of a rebuild. Or it could lead to those teams not showing up if they can’t afford to have the motor rebuilt.(SceneDaily)(3-1-2010)

NASCAR Revises Green-White-Checkered Race Procedure: NASCAR announced a revision to one of its race procedures, allowing a maximum of three restart attempts prior to the White Flag under NASCAR's Green-White-Checkered flag finish. If the leader has taken the White Flag and the caution flag is displayed, the field is frozen and the race will not be restarted. Previously, there was only one restart attempt. The new procedure will be implemented beginning with today's running of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' Gatorade Duel at Daytona and will apply to all three national series. NASCAR officials met with drivers and teams Wednesday at Daytona International Speedway to discuss the change and get their input. The announcement was made during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' drivers and crew chiefs meeting Thursday morning. "We want to do all we can to finish our races under green flag conditions – the fans want to see that and so do the competitors," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. "We felt that putting a cap at three attempts to finish the race under green is the way to go. It gives the fans what they want and it also gives the teams a better opportunity to prepare for their end of race strategy." The change amends procedure 9-14C of the 2010 NASCAR rulebook.(NASCAR), see rules and notes on my Green-White-Checker rule page.(2-11-2010)

NASCAR tweaks wave-around rule: NASCAR has tweaked its rule on wave-around cars under caution. The new rule now dictates that cars under penalty at the time of the caution are ineligible for the wave around. The change began last week with the Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway after a situation came up in the Nationwide Series race that was new to the double-file restart system instituted in June. In the Nationwide race, Roush Fenway Racing's Carl Edwards was penalized for speeding under green, and then the caution came out. He stayed out and didn't pit and then was among those cars on the end of the lead lap. He then got the "wave around" the caution car (along with the rest of the cars that had stayed out and were on the end of the lead lap) to get to the rear of the line of lead-lap cars. Edwards then went to the end of the line to serve his penalty. That move would not be allowed anymore. The driver would not get the wave around and would start a lap down at the rear of the field on the restart, the penalty for a driver who had a speeding penalty under green but never served it before the caution came out. The new rule in general is any driver under penalty is no longer eligible for the wave around.(SceneDaily)(10-11-2009)

NEWS, PRACTICE and QUALIFYINGnews, notes and links

Kyle Busch wins pole at Richmond: #18-Kyle Busch won the Coors Pole for the Crown Royal Presents The Heath Calhoun 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway with a speed of 127.077mph for his 1st pole of 2010, 1st at Richmond and 6th of his career. #00-Reutimann will start 2nd followed by #48-Johnson, #24-Gordon, #39-Newman, #12-Keselowski, #29-Harvick, #1-McMurray, #83-Vickers and #33-Bowyer.
The go-or-go homers who made the race (8): #87-Nemecehk, #36-Mears, #32-Soresnon, #09-Bliss, #26-Stremme, #37-Gilliland, #46-Cook and #64-Raines.
The go-or-go homers who failed to qualify for the race (3): #55-McDowell, #13-Papis, #66-Blaney
See the starting lineup, qualifying speeds and notes on my Richmond Starting Lineup/Qualifying Results page.(4-30-2010)

Qualifying Fast Facts - Richmond:
#18-Kyle Busch won the Coors Light Pole Award for the CROWN ROYAL Presents The Heath Calhoun 400 with a lap of 21.247 seconds, 127.077 mph.
This is his sixth pole in 196 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his first pole and eighth top-10 start in 2010.
This is his first pole in 11 races at Richmond International Raceway.
#00-David Reutimann (second) posted his third top-10 start of 2010 and his second in seven races at Richmond International Raceway.
#48-Jimmie Johnson (third) posted his 10th top-10 start at Richmond International Raceway. It is his seventh in ten races this season.
#46-Terry Cook (41st) was the fastest qualifying rookie.(NASCAR Statistics)(4-30-2010)

Coverage of Qualifying for the Crown Royal Presents The Heath Calhoun 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway is scheduled for Friday, April 30, 2010 at 5:40pm/et.Television (TV): SPEED 5:30pm/etRadio: Motor Racing Network (MRN) only on NASCAR.com
Jayski.com: Jayski's Semi-Live Qualifying PageQualifying Re-Air: 1:30 am/et on SPEED

Qualifying Order for the Crown Royal Presents The Heath Calhoun 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway is posted. 46 cars/drivers are listed. Go-or-go homers will qualify at the end of the session, once the top-35 drivers are done.
The first of the top-35 drivers scheduled to go out is #43-Allmendinger.
The final top-35 driver scheduled to go out is #33-Bowyer.
The first go-or-go homer scheduled to qualify [36th] is #26-Stremme with the final driver scheduled to qualify being #36-Mears.
See the full qualifying order on the Richmond Qualifying Page.(4-30-2010)

Happy Hour (final) practice: for the Crown Royal Presents The Heath Calhoun 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway is over, after 90 scheduled minutes, the top 5 and some notes:
#18-Busch 124.395
#00-Reutimann 124.007
#20-Logano 123.916
#42-Montoya 123.876
#24-Gordon 123.615
slowest: #38-Conway 118.457 & #55-McDowell 120.235
incident: #43-Allmendinger scraped the right side of the car early in practice, doesn't look like major damage.
See fastest spees, laps run, average speeds on my Practice Speeds Page.(4-30-2010)

What happens if qualifying gets canceled/rained out?After the 5th race of the season, the current season OWNERS points are used:
#1) - First 35 by current Owner Points [position 1-35][top 35 teams do NOT need to attempt ALL the races]
#2) - Last Years Sprint Cup Champ or the Event Champion if not already in the field
#3) - Car Owners whose team has won in the previous and current season not already in the field
#4) - Drivers who have won in the previous and current season not already in the field
#5) - ALL Past Sprint Cup Champions not in by 1 thru 4 [is NOT charged against the 6 past champ provisionals]
#6) - Qualifying Attempts [not starts] with Owners points as the tie breaker, if still tied then by best finish
#7) - Qualifying Order Position
(all above apply as long as the team was entered by the entry deadline - usually 7-13 days before the race)

Go or Go Home Drivers to Qualify Together: Teams outside the top 35 in owners points will qualify together at the end of the qualifying session. The thought is that nobody would have an advantage in track conditions.

How to Calculate Track Speeds: use the formula Speed = Distance divided by Time. Distance is Track Length, and Lap Time into Hours. Once hour is 3600 seconds, so the calculation for a 48 second lap at Daytona(2.5 miles) would be: Speed = 2.5 x (3600/48), = 2.5 x 75 = 187.500mph. For a 19 second lap at Bristol(.533 miles): Speed = .533 x (3600/19), = .533 x 189.474 = a speed of 100.990mph

How to break a tie during qualifying? (same speed/time) When drivers are tied for a starting spot during qualifying, it is broken by owners points standings (not drivers points).

Determining Race Line-Ups - Top 35 Guarantee: At the start of the 2005 season, NASCAR instituted a new procedure for establishing the starting race field in the Sprint Cup Series [NSCS]. NASCAR revamped the system by simplifying the procedure with teams no longer accruing provisionals throughout the season to gain entry into the starting fields. While starting positions one through 42 in the NSCS still will be determined by qualifying speed, the new system will assure the highest-ranked 35 positions of the NSCS OWNER [not Driver] championship points that have entered the event prior to the entry deadline [usually 13 days before the day of the race] one of those starting positions in the field, providing they have made an attempt to qualify [which usually means the team at least practiced and made an effort to qualify].
The remaining seven positions [36-42] will be assigned to those drivers with the fastest qualifying speeds whose car owners are not among the top 35. The final starting position [43rd] – the champion’s provisional – can be utilized by a car owner whose driver is a current or past Sprint Cup champion who participated as a driver during the current of previous season and was entered in the event for that owner in that car prior to the entry deadline.
If there is more than one series champion vying for the position, it will be given to the most recent series champion. If the final provisional starting position – 43rd in the Sprint Cup – is not filled by a current or past series champion, it will be assigned to the next eligible car owner according to qualifying results.
Through the first five races of the season for the Sprint Cup, the top 35 in the NSCS of the previous owner championship points entered in the event prior to the entry deadline will be assured one of the 42 starting positions in the field, provided they have made an attempt to qualify. From the sixth race on, the current owner championship points will be used to determine the top 35 each race week. In the event that conditions prevent qualifying from being run, starting positions will be assigned according to the respective series’ current Rule Book.(NASCAR PR)Simple: so the field is set by speed to where the 7th fastest non-top 35 driver is on speed. The any drivers in the top 35 of OWNERS [not drivers points] are placed to the 42nd spot. The 43rd spot is used for the most recent past Sprint Cup champion NOT already in the field from being in the top-35 in owners points or one of the seven no top-35. If their is not past champ for the 43rd spot, it goes to the next fastest [8th fastest driver]

At Richmond International Raceway::
· Originally known as the Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds, Richmond International Raceway held its first race in 1946 as a half-mile dirt track.
· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was April 19, 1953.
· The spring 1964 race was run on a Tuesday night under temporary lighting.
· The track name changed to Virginia State Fairgrounds in 1967.
· The track surface was changed from dirt to asphalt between races in 1968.
· The track name changed to Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway in 1969.
· Track was re-measured to a half-mile in April 1969; then to .542-mile in September.
· The track was rebuilt as a three-quarters-mile D-shaped oval following the Feb. 21, 1988 race.
· The first race under permanent lights was Sept. 7, 1991.
· The first season with both races as night races was 1999.
* There have been 107 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Richmond since the track opened in 1953.
* The current 400-lap race length was established on the .542-mile measurement in March 1976.
* Buck Baker won the pole in 1953.
* Lee Petty won the first race in April 1953.
* There have been 46 different pole winners, led by Bobby Allison and Richard Petty (eight).
* Jeff Gordon (five) leads active drivers with five poles.
* 47 different drivers have posted victories at Richmond, led by Richard Petty (13).
* Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson (three) lead active race winners.
* Petty Enterprises has won 15 races at Richmond, more than any other team.
* 61 of 107 races have been won from the top five starting positions, including 21 from the pole.
* The last driver to win from the pole was Jimmie Johnson in September 2007.
* 11 of the past 13 races have been won from the top 10.
* The furthest back in the field a race winner has started was 31st, by Clint Bowyer in 2008’s spring race.
* Kyle Petty became the first third-generation NASCAR race winner when he won his first race, at Richmond, on Feb. 23, 1986. Richard Petty posted his first Richmond victory in 1961 and Lee won the very first Richmond race in 1953.
* Two active drivers have a finish inside the top 10: Kyle Busch (6.0) and Denny Hamlin (8.5). Tony Stewart averages a finish just outside the top 10 (10.4).
* Seven of the last nine races have had a margin of victory less than one second.
* There have been 267 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Virginia.
* 158 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series (all-time) have their home state recorded as Virginia.
* There have been 18 race winners from Virginia in NASCAR’s three national series

#39 to honor U.S. Army Health Care Personnel: The paint scheme on Ryan Newman's #39 U.S. Army Chevy for Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway will pay tribute to the U.S. Army Medical Department (AMEDD) and the men and women who comprise the highly-trained Army Health Care Team. During the Crown Royal Presents the Heath Calhoun 400 Cup event, Army Medicine will be showcased on the hood and rear quarter panels of the #39 car along with the AMEDD logo on the hood. The race name is in honor of Calhoun, an Army retiree (101st Airborne) and Purple Heart recipient. The Army Health Care Team is one of the largest comprehensive systems of health care in the country. It is made up of six corps, each with a specific function:
· Dental Corps -- oral surgery, prosthodontics, endodontics, periodontics and orthodontics
· Medical Corps -- more than 40 specialties, including internal medicine, neurosurgery, pathology and psychiatry
· Medical Service Corps -- behavioral psychology, entomology, hospital administration and nuclear engineering
· Medical Specialist Corps -- patient care, wellness education, injury prevention
· Nurse Corps -- critical care nursing, medical surgical nursing and community nursing
· Veterinary Corps -- animal medicine, veterinary public health, food inspection and research
As an incentive for medical-career students to join the Army Health Care Team, the U.S. Army offers a range of financial assistance and educational benefits. "It will be a privilege to drive a car honoring the Army Health Care Team which works by the motto – to save, to heal, to serve," said Newman. "Each time I visit Walter Reed Army Medical Center I am overwhelmed with the professional care and professional services that are provided to our brave and wounded Soldiers." The following will be special guests of the U.S. Army Race Team in Richmond:
· Maj. Gen. Patricia D. Horoho, Deputy Surgeon General, United States Army and Chief, United States Army Nurse Corps.
· Maj. Arthur De Luigi, a medical doctor who specializes in physical medicine and sports medicine at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Prior to his second year of medical school at Lake Erie College (Erie, Pa.), De Luigi entered the Army's Health Professionals Scholarship Program, which paid more than $100,000 of his medical school costs. De Luigi served two deployments in Iraq.
· Army Staff Sgt. Adam Ellsworth, a native of Woodbridge, Va., who served three deployments -- two in Iraq and one in Kosovo. He also served on an humanitarian mission in the Gulf coast following Hurricane Katrina.(US Army Racing), see an image of the scheme on my #39 Team Schemes page.(4-27-2010)

Kahne going retro at Richmond: #9-Kasey Kahne is scheduled to run a Budweiser Retro Throw Back Special at Richmond International Raceway in May. See am image of the scheme on my #9 Team Schemes page.(4-17-2010)

Reese's returns to Harvick's Chevy: Hershey's Reese's Peanut Butter Cup's is scheduled to be featured on Kevin Harvick's #29 Richard Childress Racing Chevy at Richmond International Raceway on May 1st. See an image of the scheme on my #29 Team Schemes page.(1-16-2010)

Richmond Configuration Years:Half-mile dirt 1953-68
From its inaugural season until its first race in 1968, Richmond — then known as Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds, Atlantic Rural
Exposition, and Virginia State Fairgrounds — was a half-mile dirt track. Victory Lane during these early years was a place for
legends. David Pearson won five races during this period; Richard Petty and Joe Weatherly won three; and Speedy Thomas,
Lee Petty and Cotton Owens won two..625-mile paved 1968 (second race)
Richard Petty won the first race on a paved Richmond surface. Only two drivers finished on the lead lap in the 300-lap event:
Petty and David Pearson.Half-mile paved 1969 (first race)
The track was re-measured to a half-mile for the first race of 1969. Pearson won the event..5625-mile paved 1969 (second race)
The track was once again re-measured, this time to a 9/16th-mile. Bobby Allison won..542-mile paved 1970-1988
Yet again, the track was re-measured — but this one lasted for more than one event. There were a couple
name changes, too. During this 19-year period, Richmond was known as Virginia State Fairgrounds, Richmond
Fairgrounds Speedway and Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway. Petty was The King during this era, with nine of
his 13 Richmond wins coming during this period..75-mile paved 1988-Present
The track was reconfigured to its current shape and length for the second race of 1988, won by Davey Allison.
The track also changed its name to Richmond International Raceway for that second event of ’88. Rusty Wallace
is the wins leader on the 3/4-mile layout, with six victories. This era truly mirrors the evolution of the sport,
itself. For one, the first season with both races under lights was 1999. Secondly, starting in 2004, race #26,
held annually at Richmond, is the final race of the “regular” season. The top-12 drivers who will race in the
Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup will be decided in that event.(NASCAR)(5-1-2010)

Final judging for Bubba Burger contest at RIR: The votes have been tallied, and the top three vote-getters in the Signature BUBBA burger Contest will be vying for grand champion Friday at Richmond International Raceway. Fans are invited to catch the action, which starts at 2:30pm/et at the SPEED stage, located outside of Turn 4 on the midway. Trevor Bayne, Scott Lagasse, Jr. and Coleman Pressley will present their creations to a panel of judges to determine the winner. Bayne earned a berth into the final round with the “Cheese’s BUBBA burger”: Certified Angus BUBBA burger with three different cheeses (Swiss, American and cheddar), bacon, mayonnaise and ketchup. Lagasse Jr.’s unique creation put him in the finale with his “Fried Green Tomato BUBBA burger”: Turkey BUBBA burger, fried green tomato slice, remoulade sauce, caramelized onion, arugula and mozzarella cheese. Pressley had—by far—the most exotic creation, which earned him the most votes. Pressley’s creation consists of a Turkey BUBBA burger, topped with a Celebrity Dog, potato chips, Celebrity homemade chili, two peanut butter cups and thick cheddar cheese. The judges for the contest include Richmond International Raceway president Doug Fritz, SPEED personality Rutledge Wood and a BUBBA burger representative. All of this will precede the BUBBA burger 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race “under the lights” at Richmond International Raceway Friday night. Tickets start at $35 and can be purchased by logging on to www.rir.com, calling 866-455-RACE (7223) or visiting a Richmond International Raceway ticket booth on track property. Children 12 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult in general admission sections on Friday only.(RIR)(4-30-2010)

Who is Heath Calhoun? Race Namesake at RIR?: Heath Calhoun, a retired United States Army veteran, was announced as Crown Royal's "YOUR NAME HERE" contest winner this year. Friends and family of current and former military members were asked to submit their nomination for someone who serves or served in the military and exemplified their definition of a hero. Calhoun, a Purple Heart recipient and former member of the 101st Airborne unit, was nominated because of his bravery and heroism while serving the U.S. Army in Iraq. During a tour of duty, Calhoun lost both of his legs in an explosion. Calhoun, who was also honored with the George C. Lang Award for Courage, returned to his Tennessee home and, after many months of rehabilitation, began training for the United States Paralympics Team. Calhoun was selected as the flag bearer for opening ceremonies and competed in alpine skiing. Calhoun will take part in pre-race festivities as Grand Marshal, make numerous hospitality appearances and participate in the trophy presentation in Gatorade Victory Lane. The Heath Calhoun 400 brand was incorporated into all official race logos, used for thousands of pieces of merchandise and recognized by NASCAR's broadcast and media partners as the race's official title.(RIR)(4-28-2010)

BUBBA burger to sponsor NNS race at Richmond: Richmond International Raceway announced that next month’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race will officially be titled the BUBBA burger 250. Additionally, BUBBA burger is now the Official Burger of Richmond International Raceway and the juicy and delicious burgers will be available at select concession areas during race weekend. The BUBBA burger 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway on Friday, April 30 will be an old-school, short track shootout “under the lights,” featuring all of the full-time Nationwide Series drivers, as well as many NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers running double-duty. For tickets to events at Richmond International Raceway, call 866-455-RACE or visit www.rir.com online.(RIR)(3-22-2010)

Richmond race named Heath Calhoun 400: A special patriotic ceremony at Daytona International Speedway revealed Heath Calhoun, a retired member of the Army who lost both of his legs in an explosion in Iraq, as the grand-prize winner of the annual Crown Royal "Your Name Here" 400 program. Heath Calhoun lives in Clarksville, Tenn., and was chosen from a group of five military finalists who were all nominated by their friends, family and fellow soldiers for their ability to demonstrate the core values of the military in performing a selfless act that makes them a hero. Heath's nomination detailed his determination and ability to inspire others to live their lives to the fullest despite their injuries. For his efforts in the military, Calhoun received a Purple Heart, as well as the George C. Lang Award for Courage. Once the finalists were selected, their stories were showcased on www.crownroyal.com, where, for the first time ever, adult fans were able to choose who they thought should receive naming rights to the May 1 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway. All the finalists' stories showcased myriad selfless acts, from saving a boy from drowning to participating in the rescue of the Vice President and several Senators when their helicopter made an emergency landing. While all were deserving of the prize, Calhoun was selected as the grand-prize winner. The Heath Calhoun 400 will be incorporated into all official race logos, used for thousands of pieces of merchandise and recognized by NASCAR's broadcast and media partners as the race's official title. In addition, Calhoun will take part in pre-race festivities at Richmond International Raceway and participate in the trophy presentation to the race winner in Gatorade Victory Lane. During the race weekend, he will receive VIP accommodations for himself and a guest. Known as the Crown Royal Presents The Heath Calhoun 400(RIR PR)(2-12-2010)

RIR Scoring Tower Ground Breaking:Richmond International Raceway president Doug Fritz, joined by NASCAR personality Hermie Sadler and representatives from Panasonic, officially broke ground today for the new state-of-the-art video scoring tower which will soar above the infield of America’s Premier Short Track. The “larger than life” tower will support four giant video screens high above the infield of America’s Premier Short Track beginning in 2010. The new leaderboard and video screens, which combined will be the largest in all of motorsports, will be visible from every seat in this modern-day coliseum and installed in time for the NASCAR Doubleheader weekend April 30-May 1. Designed by Panasonic, the entire structure will stand 153 feet tall and feature four LED (light-emitting diode) video screens at the peak. At 153-feet high, it will be the tallest in motorsports. Each enormous LED video screen will measure 38-feet wide by 24-feet high, and the four-sided design will provide spectacular views of video, including live race action, to fans in the grandstands at Richmond International Raceway. The LED video screens will display live race action, highlights and replays, pre-produced videos and other animations and graphics. Below the video screens, a four-sided LED leaderboard will stretch 67-feet high by 13-feet wide and provide real-time running order, lap times, points standings, including the current Chase standings during “One Last Race to Make the Chase,” and other scoring functions during races. Combined, the video leaderboard and video screen portions of the structure will feature the largest amount of LED square footage in the motorsports industry. The new video scoring tower at Richmond International Raceway will stand more than 95 feet taller than the current scoring pylon, and the video screens alone will be over three times wider than the current pylon. NASCAR returns to Richmond International Raceway for a doubleheader weekend, featuring the Crown Royal 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race “under the lights” on Saturday night May 1. Tickets, starting at $40, are on sale now at www.rir.com or by calling 866-455-RACE (7223). The Spring NASCAR Doubleheader weekend kicks off on Friday, April 30 with the NASCAR Nationwide Series 250.(RIR)(1-18-2010)

New scoring tower & video screen at Richmond: Richmond International Raceway will install a state-of-the-art video scoring tower which will support four giant video screens high above the infield beginning in 2010. The new leaderboard and video screens, which combined will be the largest in all of motorsports, will be visible from every seat at Richmond International Raceway and installed in time for the NASCAR Doubleheader weekend April 30-May 1. “The new leaderboard and video screens mark a major upgrade and improvement to our facility and will enhance the overall guest experience at America’s Premier Short Track,” said track president Doug Fritz. Designed by Panasonic, the entire structure will stand 130 feet tall and feature four LED (Light-emitting diode) video screens at the peak. At 130-feet high, it will be the tallest in motorsports. Each enormous LED video screen will measure 38-feet wide by 24-feet high, and the four-sided design will provide spectacular views of the video, including live race action, to fans all around Richmond International Raceway. The LED video screens will display live race action, highlights and replays, pre-produced videos and other animations and graphics. Below the video screens, a four-sided LED leaderboard will stretch 67-feet high by 13-feet wide and provide real-time running order, lap times, points standings, including the current Chase standings during “One Last Race to Make the Chase,” and other scoring functions during races. The new leaderboard and video screens at Richmond International Raceway will stand almost 72 feet taller than the current scoring pylon, and the video screens alone will be over three times wider than the current pylon.
NASCAR returns to Richmond International Raceway for a doubleheader weekend, featuring the Crown Royal Presents The Your Name Here 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race “under the lights” on Saturday night May 1. Tickets, starting at $40, go on sale this Saturday, January 9, at 9 a.m and are available by calling 866-455-RACE (7223), logging on to www.rir.com or stopping by the Richmond International Raceway ticket office.(RIR)(1-6-2010)

Richmond making seats bigger, lessen seat count: hearing that many Richmond International Raceway ticket holders are being or have been contacted about moving current seat assignments as the track is expanding seat width 2" to 4" for the 2010 season. RIR is currently listed as having 112,029 total seats. No word how many seats will be re-sized or how it will affect the seat count.(12-16-2009)

Notes: Teams in both NASCAR series in action at Richmond this weekend will run the same tire codes . . . this is the same combination of left- and right-side tires that teams in these two series ran at Richmond last season . . . this is also the same tire set-up that Sprint Cup and Nationwide teams ran at Phoenix earlier this month, as well as in both races at that track last season . . . teams in these series ran this left-side tire code (D-4238) with a slightly different right-side code at New Hampshire last season . . . Nationwide teams also ran this left-side code at Indianapolis, Milwaukee and Memphis in 2009 . . . as on most NASCAR ovals one mile or less in length, teams will not run inner liners in their tires at Richmond.